Water ski and boat



June 18, 1940. K. SATO WATER SKI AND BOAT Filed July 24, 1937 INVENTOR.

ncsl SHTO Km'suy W 92/ ATTORNE the tubular rod from Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES rArEN'r OFFICE Tama-Gun, Tokyo-F11,

Japan Application July 24, 1937, Serial No. 155,381

In Japan August 1, 1936 2 Claims.

A rubber cylinder may be given a desired shape if filled with air, but if it receives pressure, it has the drawback of being unable to resist the pressure and changing its shape. Accordingly, it in that condition cannot be used as a water ski or boat which receives big pressure.

The present invention relates to a Water ski and boat, which consists in forming a pair of sliding bodies by connecting several rubber cylinders in parallel, fixing a tubular rod to the bottom surface of each of said rubber cylinders. so that the center of gravity may be at the bottom of the rubber cylinder and attaching a flat member, which serves as a pedal, to the face of each of said sliding bodies and connecting said pedal to a tubular rod connecting piece, said pair of sliding bodies: being provided at the center with a seat which can rise or fall or be detached freely so that a boat may be obtained by lifting or attaching the seat and also raising an oar supporter hinged to the pedal; or that a ski may be had by laying down or detaching the seat and also loosening the connection between two pairs of the sliding bodies so as to be able to move alternately.

According to this invention, the rubber cylinder is kept from inclining or overturmng during running or sailing by stabilizing its buoyancy with a tubular rod and moreover is given a resistance to pressure so that it is free from the apprehension of changing its shape under pressure during running. Further, as in transportation it is possible to separate it from the tubular rod and exhaust air from it and separate the connecting member, it is very convenient to carry and may be used as a boat or ski in spite of the floating body being made of rubber.

Referring to the accompanying drawing whic shows one embodiment of this invention,

Figure 1 is a cross section of the Water ski and boat according to the present invention with the seat raised and partly cut off Figure 2, a plan of the same with the seat raised and Figure 3, a side view.

In the drawing, l is a rubber tube having inserted therein an inner bag 2 to be filled with air.

At the bottom of a rubber cylinder l is provided a tubular rod 3 which has a desired length and is connected to the above bottom by means of a connecting ring I2. The rubber cylinders l are arranged in parallel by twos and a fiat member 4 serving as a pedal is disposed on theupper surface of their center. To the lower side of said pedal is fixed the upper central part 01' a tubular rod connecting piece 5, the lower portions of which spread outwardly with their ends forming rings Hi to hold the tubular rods and thus fix them to the rubber cylinders i so that 5 the center of gravity may be at the bottom of the cylinder I. Also, the rubber cylinder I, the rear end and the parts slightly above and below the center of the tubular rod 3 are connected together by the connecting piece 5, the rubber cyll a tapered end and a sliding body joining two such rubber cylinders i with their ends united and inserted into a metal shoe It. At the pedal t or the upper portion of the connecting piece there is provided a joining piece, for example, a hinge ll to which to hinge one ends of the arms 6, l and 9, I0 which can rise and fall freely, the arms 6 and 1 being raised and joined and the tubular portion 18 being fitted in their joined ends. If the arms. 6 20 and 9 are inclined as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, they embrace the rubber cylinders while the arms 9 and in are raised to form a. supporter for an oar I l and are fitted at theirends with racks for the car ll. I9 is a supporter secured toeach of the tubular rods 3, 3 and has a link 20 hinged to the upper face of its center so as toenable each pair of the rubber cylinders I, l to move alternately when a water ski is wanted.

I2 and I3 are engaging pieces whose ends are connected respectively with the front sides of the pedal 4 and a tubular rod 5 in such a manner as can rise and fall freely. They keep the foot from slipping when raised upward. 2| is a heel piece.

In this invention, since a tubular rod is provided at the center of the lower part of the rubber cylinder, its gravity against the buoyancy of the cylinder makes an inverted triangle and accordingly does not only maintain the cylinder in a stable condition, but keeps it from inclining or overturning. Moreover, this article can not only move straight towards the running or sailing direction, but may be folded if air is exhausted from the rubber cylinder. Also, the tubular rod 3 may be separated from the connecting member and the tubular rod connecting piece 5 be removed from the rubber tubular rod. This makes it convenient to carry and transport. Besides, it can be used as a boat or ski if each pair of the arms which can rise and fall is raised and is fitted with a seat or is made to support an oar. Again, by inclining said arm the rubber cylinder may be held. Also, this boat may be reconstructed into 2 a ski. It has the further advantage of being easily assembled or taken to pieces.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a series of metallic members of approximately H-shape, each leg thereof being shaped to form the arc of a circle with a ring-shaped extension disposed below the center of said are, a tubular rod secured in the ring-shaped extensions of each leg and connecting said metallic members together in spaced alinement, a pair of flexible cylinders, and means to support the same in laterally spaced parallel relation in the arc-shaped portions.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a series of metallic members of approximately H-shape, each leg thereof being shaped to form the arc of a circle with a ring-shaped extension disposed below the center of said arc, a tubular rod secured in the ring-shaped extensions of each leg and connecting said metallic members together in spaced alinement, a pair of flexible cylinders, means to support the same in laterally spaced parallel relation in the arcshaped portions, and means for rigidly connecting a second set of metallic members in parallel spaced relation with said first series.

KATSUYASU SATO. 

